He is being asked to give up his News Corp chairmanship by a group of investors. He faces a grilling at the Leveson inquiry later this month. And an inevitably critical report by the media select committee about News International's activities is due out soon too.

He just cannot control events and finds himself on the back foot in responding to them. He may well have thought that his last appearance before the MPs was the most humbling day of his life. But he has undergone a lengthy period of humility since then.